One of the things we are continuing to focus on is student attendance. You will hear us talking about this with you, with our students and it remains a strong subject of conversation in the staff room. If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss more thana whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regularschool attendance. All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school. You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure.  

Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by the school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.

We know that autumn certainly brings its crisp mornings and winter with all its chills, bugs, and colds. Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school can be tricky at times. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora have refreshed their guidance for schools and parents to use to help make that call. Check out the Ministry of Education website for more information. If you are stillunsure, get in touch with us. At our school, we have strong processes and hygiene practices in place to make sure our school environment is as healthy as possible for our students and our staff.

If you are struggling at home with getting your child to school, talk to us! Our school is committed to supporting your child to attend school and building a culture that fosters excellent attendance by having:

• School staff who have strong relationships with students and whānau.  
• A school culture that recognises your child and your family for who they are, where they come from, and who they want to be.
• A school community that does everything to make sure students are at school, and they are participating, and progressing in their education.​​​​​​​

Parents and caregivers can find more information here.

At Havelock North Intermediate, we prioritise effective management of our students' Chromebooks through Google Licences for Education. This approach ensures that our learners can fully engage in their education by minimising distractions. With Google Licences for Education, students are logged into their individual school accounts, restricting access to non-HNI accounts during school hours. This not only maintains a focused learning environment but also ensures the enforcement of our school's internet safety policies. For instance, Google Safe Search filters explicit and dangerous content from the internet. Additionally, we have the capability to block specific social media and gaming sites. Students are unable to use incognito mode or delete search history, allowing for easy monitoring of their online activities on school accounts. This has resulted in improved learning outcomes at HNI by reducing distractions.

In the event that a chromebook is lost or stolen, we have the ability to remotely lock it down and display a message requesting its return to Havelock North Intermediate. This further ensures the security of our students' chromebooks.

We will begin the introduction of Google Licences to our new students early on in Term 1.

To add these Google Licences to student chromebooks, a factory reset will be required. Most data on Chromebooks is stored safely online; however, some data may be saved locally on the chromebook, typically in the "downloads" or "camera" section. If you wish to preserve any locally saved data (on the chromebook, not in the cloud), it is recommended to either upload it to Google Drive or save it on a USB stick or similar external storage chromebook. 

After the Chromebook has been reset, it will be set up to use only school accounts during school hours. Outside of school hours, including weekends and holidays, students will have access to both personal and school accounts. User accounts will need to be added again, so students should remember their personal account username and password. 

If Family Link was previously set up, it should still be linked when they log in with their child account. If it’s a new setup, you may need to re-enable parental controls.

Rest assured that all online data will be safely stored, ensuring minimal disruption to the chromebook. Additionally, Wi-Fi passwords will need to be re-entered. This works in conjunction with Family Link which will be added again when you add the child account back to the device.

To ensure your child's safety while online at school, their chromebook needs to have this management in place. If a child does not have this, their device will need to be kept at home and they will be issued a school device to use instead.

We appreciate your support in ensuring a safe and focused digital learning environment for our students.

When a device is enrolled to a school’s domain with a Chrome Education license, that device will act in the same way no matter if your child is at school, home, or a friend’s house. This is because it is device settings rather than network settings that are being applied. Therefore, safe search settings, various levels of YouTube restrictions and blocked URL’s can be applied to the device 100% of the time when using HNI accounts.

Because the device can be locked down to users of the school domain during school hours, schools can disable various apps and extensions that may become a distraction from learning. For Chromebooks that can access Android apps through the Google Play store, only school approved apps will be shown. Schools can also block various online games that they deem are not enhancing learning in any way. Parents are investing in the device to help transform learning for their child, therefore, it is important to create an environment that allows this to happen.

Chrome Education Licensing

Chromebooks that will be used through this BYOC agreement will be managed through Chrome Education. This means that:

• Chromebooks will be used as a tool that will enhance learning.

• Chromebooks will have online safety settings enabled.

• Lost/stolen Chromebooks will locked down with a return to school message.  

Acceptable use of equipment -

• I will respect the Chromebook by always looking after it and keeping it safe.

• I will bring my Chromebook to school every day, charged and ready to use.

Acceptable use agreement -

This acceptable use agreement has six conditions or facets of being a digital citizen

• I will show respect for myself through my actions.

• I will select online names that are appropriate,

• I will consider the information and images that I post online.

• I will consider what personal information about my life  I post.

• I will not be obscene.

• I will ensure that the information, images and materials I post online will not put me at risk.

• I will not publish my personal or contact details .

• I will report any attacks or inappropriate behavior directed at me and I will seek support from appropriate people

• I will protect passwords, accounts and resources.

• I will show respect to others.

• I will not use electronic mediums to bully, harass or stalk other people.

• I will not visit sites that are degrading, pornographic, racist or inappropriate.

• I will not abuse my rights of access and I will not enter other people's private spaces

I will protect others by reporting abuse, not forwarding inappropriate materials or communications.I will moderate unacceptable materials and conversations, reporting conversations that are inappropriate or unacceptable.

• I will suitably cite any and all use of websites, books, media etc.

• I will use and abide by the copyright rules.

• I will report vandalism and damage.

• I will act with integrity.

• I will interact with my child’s learning in a kind, positive and helpful way.

• I will respect the terms of this document and ensure my child is encouraged to be a responsible user.

• I will work with my child to keep all equipment safe when it is at home and provide a secure place to store it and charge it.

• I understand that the addition of a Google License will require the chromebook to be factory reset and that the school will undertake this. School devices will be made available to those students who do not have a managed Chromebook.

• To use the Chromebooks in ways that will enhance learning for our students.

• To offer technical support for student’s Chromebooks where applicable.

• To ensure the classroom environment adheres to keeping students safe online.

• To support parents in engaging with student work.

• HNI Health Curriculum

• Puberty and ‘Navigating the Journey’ Sexuality Education 

• Drug Education 

• Healthy Lifestyles 

• Small group programmes - HNI contracts facilitators to deliver these important support programmes in school. 

  • Shine Girl is a special programme that has 9 sessions (1 per week) that focuses on the concepts of Worth, Strength, Potential and Purpose. Each term 10-12 girls complete the course. The sessions are filled with fun, encouragement, teaching, object lessons and group time where the girls can discuss their understanding of the learning and can enjoy building friendships with others. The aim of the sessions is to help girls to develop emotional resilience and to give them skills in working through healthy friendships, confidence, their value, peer pressure issues. We also look at bullying and the different factors and emotions involved in this. 

  • Inspire in Education: Pastoral Care and Mentoring ‘Producing Rangatira for Tomorrow’ Our strategic objective: To have Māori participate and succeed at all levels of learning. Our aspirations: 1. For all Māori students to feel safe and included, and able to learn as Māori. 2. To provide an outstanding learning experience for Māori learners. 3. To provide a learning environment that is attractive to and supportive of Māori and facilitates their success. Inspire in Education works mainly with Maori students. We have two groups for boys and another group for girls. 

  • The STRENGTH program is about equipping adolescents with the knowledge and skills to discover who they are and the person they want to become. Strength is a unique personal development and group mentoring tool for boys, that uses an inspirational, practical and experiential approach to learning. The programme is founded upon the premise that every life counts and has intrinsic value and fosters an awareness of this belief. As a result, individuals are equipped to become effective global citizens for the future. 

At HNI we also recognise the wider responsibility to learn about emotions and ways to positively respond to the challenges of everyday life. 

We have sourced funding to employ an experienced school counselor for 10 hours a week. This is a response to the increased demand for this service from whanau. Whanau will always be involved in discussion before any referral is made. We also make referrals on behalf of whanau to local counseling organisations. 

Our school counselor, Nichola Jobson works with students here at school, during school time. Students access counseling through a referral system and parent permission being gained before counseling can begin with any student. Nichola works in a variety of ways including one on one and small group counseling with the aim of improving student function at school.

• Polo top

• Polar fleece or Shell jacket

• Boys' shorts , black socks with (1 pair) or without green stripes

• Girls' shorts  or girls' skirt/skort, white fold-over ankle socks worn with shoes 

• Black tracksuit pants can be worn. No other colour on the tracksuit pants is permitted and these tracksuit pants are not to be worn for PE. We advise that in terms 1 and 4 tracksuit pants are not worn.

• Black tights may be worn with the skirt and shoes in terms 2 and 3

For PE  and sports only:

• PE shorts or cycle shorts (black, no logos) worn at school, but not to or from school. Only one layer - not cycle shorts AND PE shorts over top. The cycle shorts must be no longer than the knee and no shorter than mid-thigh. Our PE short is a length that is appropriate for school and the activities within our curriculum.

• PE top (worn at school, but not to or from school)

Sandals: We prefer students to wear plain school-style black sandals for summer, although brown is acceptable. Shoes: Students should wear lace-up black school shoes or sneakers. The laces must be black. Shoes are all black and have no colour other than black.  No coloured soles, please. High basketball style shoes (high tops, chucks) are not to be worn or slip-on shoes.

School hats are available at NZ uniformsand are expected to be worn everyday in terms 1 and 4.  If you would prefer your child to wear a wide-brim plain black hat, please feel free to source one as these are not readily available from our supplier. Names can be written or embroidered on the outside at the back to prevent hats from going missing.

If hair is long enough to sit on the shoulders it should be tied back with dark-coloured hair ties. Black or brown headbands are permitted. Plain hairstyles are expected, with fringes being clear of the eyes. Black or hair-coloured scrunchies (plain, undecorated) can be worn. Hair is to be natural and no coloured by any products.

Jewellery is limited to:

• One pair of plain metal (silver or gold) studs (clarified; not greater than 4mm in diameter) or sleepers- no stones no colours, no dangly earrings, animals, shapes, cuffs etc. NO FACIAL PIERCING. 

• Nose Piercings - Any student that has a nose piercings must either have an internal clear in their nose piercing or remove it. Outsides clears and Plasters will not be an acceptable form of coverage,

Taonga - Cultural (e.g. bone carving, pounamu), religious (e.g. Catholic cross, Hindu shakti) - at HNI there is a right to wear the appropriate items without prejudice or bias - Taonga is best kept underneath clothing during Technology classes - should be removed for PE & Sports lessons, all due to safety for not being caught and or ripped off; protecting the wearer or those interacting with you if in a physical capacity. The same should apply to watches in PE/Sports in contact activities (as observed in competitive sports too where referees will often check items aren't being worn). Taonga can be worn on the outside of clothing if not at Tech/Sport. School students have a right to express their Tikanga. It’s also in recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi guarantee and obligation to protect and promote. It is the responsibility of the wearer to look after their Taonga - this may mean wearing it under their clothing during intervals and lunch if running around and involved in active play. If there is any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of religious intent, this can be explored further and clarified between the classroom teacher and home. Please contact the school office should you have any queries.

No make-up, including eyelashes - fake or extensions and coloured lip glosses or nail polish / fake nails, are to be worn at school. Contact the school office should you have any queries.

Sun Safety:

The Hawkes Bay sun is very strong.  We insist that hats are worn outside in Terms 1 and 4.  Sometimes events take students outside - class trips, sports events, our school athletics and swimming sports etc.  We ask that parents talk to students about the dangers of sun exposure and supply hats, over-shirts, rash shirts, sunblock etc. Whilst teachers discuss these precautions with students and sunblock is available - we also believe there is a degree of personal responsibility in keeping oneself safe in the conditions here.

We do not have a school pool but we do have water-based school days like the Colour Run and trips to local pools etc. It is the school rule that bikinis or two pieces are not to be worn.  

Non uniform days:

Occasionally the school has a non-uniform day/night and a gold coin may be collected to raise funds. Students may dress in their own choice of clothes but these must be school and age-appropriate. Showing midriffs, wearing shortie shorts and crop tops and make-up are not considered to be school appropriate.